College Theater Festival
From left, Thomas Alan Taylor, playwright Aaron Randolph III and Joshua Malone '14. (Photo courtesy Cam Best '16, Cam Best Photography)
A veteran returns home
A Green River is about Erik White, a young military veteran who has returned home to a world he now struggles to recognize. As Erik contemplates his fate on the banks of a river, the realities of being a soldier, husband and expectant father weigh heavily on his already troubled mind, as Erik’s past and present collide in a mixture of memory and dream as murky as the old river itself.
Three actors from Augustana College's production of "A Green River" were recognized for distinguished performances at this year's Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival regional.
Thomas Alan Taylor was recognized for distinguished performance by an actor in a leading role. Playwright Aaron Randolph III and Joshua Malone '14 were recognized for distinguished performances by an actor in a supporting role.
The play was written by Aaron Randolph III directed by Augustana alumnus Phil McKinley '73.
Fifty-eight schools were invited to perform at the regional festivals. Of those, 24 productions were recognized at the national level.
Augustana received the invitation to the regional festival less than a month before the performance date, so the cast, crew and set had to be reconstructed to prepare for the show. Some of the original cast members were unable to perform at the festival. This created a tight deadline for some students to learn a new role.
Due to the illness of a cast member, Aubrey Waddick '15 of Algonquin, Ill., stepped into her role days before the performance.
"After just 16 intense hours of rehearsal, the cast performed the show for an audience of 1,200 at the Pabst Theatre the following Thursday." she said. "Though learning the part was a daunting task, I never felt frightened. I knew our entire team had the dedication and passion to create a beautiful experience, regardless of any obstacles. Working with Phil McKinley, a professional Broadway director and Augie alumnus, challenged me to grow in ways I never thought possible."
The performance also required some alumni to return for the festival production. Award-winning supporting actor Malone had to "dust off the script" when he heard about the invitation. Malone graduated from Augustana as a theatre arts major. Since his time at Augustana he has been working in set design in small Chicago-area theatres, improving his résumé and reputation in the theatre business.
"It's a tough job to break into," he acknowledged. "But doing this show again for the festival and being honored with this recognition was an extra boost of energy and confidence to never give up. This is what I'm meant to do, and what I'm going to do."
Playwright and award winner Randolph reflected on the atmosphere and spirit of the regional festival "The students who attend are all very excited about theatre, so they really were very responsive to the show; afterwards, I got a lot of really great feedback.
"I heard from a lot of students and professors that they were talking about the play for days after the performance, which is the biggest compliment I think a playwright can get-to inspire discussion in the audience."